Camra tells pub-goers told to drink to beer tax cut

Drinkers have been urged to celebrate the ending of a beer tax by supporting pubs.

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is to launch its Community Pubs Month in April, encouraging the promotion of local hostelries.

The group hailed the Budget decision to scrap a beer duty escalator and cut the price of a pint by 1p as a new beginning for British pubs and the brewing industry.

Camra chief executive Mike Benner said, “The chancellor has become the toast of Britain’s cash-strapped beer drinkers and we should now be paying around 10p less per pub pint than they would have been had the escalator remained in place in last week’s Budget.

“This is a massive victory for Britain’s 15 million beer drinkers and we are urging people to celebrate in their local throughout Community Pubs Month.

“Research shows that many people are using pubs less in these difficult times and this tax cut is an important step in the right direction to support this great British industry and get people back into an essential community amenity, the pub.”

Camra is planning campaigns over the next ten months to raise the profile of pubs and increase the number of regulars.